


because it's never goodbye (only see you later)

by broduce



Category: HOTSHOT (Band), JBJ (Band), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Friendship, M/M, everyone pls go love hotshot, hotshot members mentioned, jbj debut can i get a YEA BOI, some wanna one and jbj members mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-19
Updated: 2017-10-19
Packaged: 2019-01-20 01:43:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12422448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/broduce/pseuds/broduce
Summary: His fingers move on their own, exiting out of the app and pulling up the number keypad, typing in numbers he hadn't realized he knew by heart.Taehyun picks up on the second ring."Hey you," a voice so familiar and warm calls out, and Sungwoon feels his throat close up.





	because it's never goodbye (only see you later)

Sungwoon stumbles into the dorm ahead of the other members, hands automatically fumbling clumsily to reach for the light switch. When light floods the room, he blinks a few times, squinting against the harsh brightness.

Guanlin is the member right behind him, and Sungwoon can see how exhausted the youngest is. His gaze softens as he watches Guanlin rub his eyes. For how tall he was, Guanlin sure looked like a baby at times.

"Guanlin-ah, go wash up first," Sungwoon says gently, a hand on Guanlin's back, steering him towards the bathroom.

"Hmm? Not my turn yet," Guanlin mumbles out, looking down at Sungwoon with bloodshot eyes.

"It's Minhyun's turn first today, I'll talk to him. You go hurry and wash up and go to sleep, all right?"

Guanlin nods, the movement laggy, as if his head was too heavy. "Thanks hyung."

Sungwoon turns to the door, where the rest of the members were slowly filing in, some chatting, most looking like they were ready to pass out on the spot.

Jisung brings up the rear, an arm around Daehwi to prop him up. Sungwoon smiles at him and Jisung returns a tired one.

"Minhyun, I told Guanlin he could wash up first, if it's alright with you," Sungwoon says as he approaches Minhyun.

Minhyun flashes him a smile. "That's fine, hyung. I was going to offer my spot to the kids anyways. Daehwi and Jinyoung also look dead on their feet."

Sungwoon pats him on the back, murmuring a quick thank you.

"Sunngwoon hyung," a voice calls, halting Sungwoon's steps.

"Hmm? What's up, Niel?" Sungwoon asks, gazing at Daniel fondly as the bigger man walked up to him.

"You forgot your phone in the van earlier." Daniel hands him the shiny device, and Sungwoon stares at it in surprise.

"Oh. Wow, I've gotten so used to not having a phone that I guess I forgot all about it," Sungwoon says as he takes it from Daniel.

"You should check out the news, hyung," Seongwoo says as he passes by them.

"The news? Why?" Sungwoon asks, staring at Seongwoo's retreating figure.

"Just do it," Daniel advises, walking away with his roommate and leaving Sungwoon to stand beneath the staircase banister by himself.

He looks at the phone in his hand, the weight of the device feeling foreign after months of not having it. He had gotten a new one right after the show, a congratulatory present from his grandpa, who had scoffed when Sungwoon told him it wasn't the newest version. _Ungrateful brat_ , he had muttered, and Sungwoon had laughed, pocketing the phone with a grateful heart.

He had barely had time to redownload Kakao Talk before management confiscated all their phones away.

Sungwoon didn't really mind. He barely used social media, only really using the device to contact his friends. And with their busy schedules, he didn't have the time nor the energy to keep up. He was sure they understood though; they had gone through too much together to be petty over something as trivial Sungwoon not responding.

Sungwoon climbs the winding staircase to the second floor, sitting on the blankets and pillows that the maknae line had dragged up there in order to build a fort. Once comfortable, he unlocks the phone and pulls up the news.

He didn't have to look far to see what Seongwoo and Daniel had been talking about.

The headline **JBJ Hot Debut** screams at him in bold letters on the main page. Sungwoon reads the title twice, feeling his breath catch in his throat. He clicks on it and reads a few lines of the article, stopping when he gets to the words  _leader Noh Taehyun_.

Sungwoon doesn't know if the ache he feels in his chest is pride or longing or anxiousness. He figures it's a mix of all three.

His fingers move on their own, exiting out of the app and pulling up the number keypad, typing in numbers he hadn't realized he knew by heart.

Taehyun picks up on the second ring.

"Hey you," a voice so familiar and warm calls out, and Sungwoon feels his throat close up.

He doesn't say anything for a moment, wanting to collect his thoughts.  
  
When he does speak, a feeble _hi_ comes out, and Sungwoon winces.

Indeed, Taehyun immediately laughs at him, the sound loud and vibrant and _so Taehyun_ that Sungwoon wants to cry.

Instead, he clears his throat. "How'd you know it was me?"

He hadn't had time to give anyone his new number.

Taehyun snorts. "I always know when it's you."

Sungwoon squeezes his eyes shut, not saying anything.

Taehyun seems to pick up on his mood, because he laughs lightly. "Who else would be calling me at 3 in the morning?"

Sungwoon checks the time. He hadn't realized it was that late. "Sorry, did I wake you?"

"Nah, I'm still in the practice room," Taehyun answers, and Sungwoon hears the echo, as well as the exhaustion in Taehyun's voice.

"You doing okay?" Sungwoon asks softly, his finger tracing one of the pillows in his lap.

There's a grunt, and Taehyun pauses. Sungwoon can almost see him lying down on the cold floor of the practice room, one hand holding his phone, the other scratching his stomach. Sungwoon's lips lift at the image.

"Yeah, I'm alright."

This time, it's Sungwoon who pauses. "Tae..."

His voice comes out a little hesitant, a little cautionary. Sungwoon knows Taehyun will pick up on it.

Taehyun exhales slowly and loudly. Sungwoon savors the sound, having heard it millions of times before but not noticing how much he had missed it.

It was an indication that Taehyun was frustrated. Or that he was going to say something important and meaningful. It was the sigh that he gave when he couldn't get a move right in a choreography. It was the sigh he gave when he had suggested for them to go on Produce 101.

Sungwoon wonders why he can decipher the meaning behind a single sigh.

"It's hard, Sungwoon. I'm so tired these days. And being leader...it's so hard. The kids really expect a lot from me, you know? They probably don't even realize it, but I feel the responsibility."

Sungwoon stays silent, taking in the words. They weren't good at the emotional and sentimental stuff, him and Taehyun. They never had been.

"Guess we have to treat Junhyuk hyung better in the future," is all he says.

A pause, and then a laugh. It's a classic Noh Taehyun laugh — boisterous and spirited, contagious and authentic.

Sungwoon smiles, revelling in the familiar sound.

"Yeah, guess we better," Taehyun replies when he calms down.

They fall into a comfortable silence. Sungwoon thinks of all the times when they sat through the same silence, except back then, they were sitting next to each other.

"Did you hear about Timo and Hojung?" Taehyun speaks first, and Sungwoon catches the strained tone.

"Yeah. Yeah, they called my manager so I got to talk to them briefly."

Taehyun exhales again.

"They'll be fine, Tae," Sungwoon says softly, picking up on the other's worries.

"Yeah, yeah I know they will be. But I still can't help but worry," Taehyun admits with a little laugh.

"What'd you tell them?" Sungwoon asks, curious.

"To not embarrass us," Taehyun answers immediately, the amusement in his voice betraying his bluff. "Kidding. I told them it would be tough. Harder than the trainee days when we only ate ramen for a week. Harder than not having a comeback for two years."

Sungwoon nods, forgetting that Taehyun can't see him.

"What about you?"

Sungwoon recalls the call a week ago, when his manager had silently handed him the phone. Although confused, Sungwoon had accepted it, nearly dropping the device when Hojung's and Timo's voices shouted in his ear. They had all been so excited.

"I just told them to have fun," Sungwoon says, smiling a little.

Taehyun hums. "We had fun, didn't we, Sungwoon?"

Sungwoon's smile widens. "We sure did. And we met some great friends along the way."

They both fall silent, reminiscing about their time on the show. Sungwoon had walked away with a new family, and so did Taehyun. But that didn't mean they forgot where they came from, nor those who had been there through the good and the bad.

"I hope Junhyuk hyung and San are holding up all right," Sungwoon says, his voice a little distant as he thinks about his members.

"They're doing fine," Taehyun says easily, and Sungwoon envies him for getting a few months to spend time with them.

"And you? How are you holding up?" Taehyun asks.

"I'm doing good...tired but happy. So happy, Tae." Sungwoon knew Taehyun would understand.

"Me too," is all Taehyun says.

Sungwoon hears Taehyun's yawn on the other side of the phone and knows he should let him go. But he doesn't want to. He wants to be selfish for just a little bit longer.

"Hey Tae?"

"Hmm."

"You're a great leader," Sungwoon says, hoping his sincerity could be conveyed through the phone.

He hears a nervous giggle on the other side and laughs a little as well. They had always been dumb & dumber (although Sungwoon would adamantly insist he was the dumb and Taehyun the dumber), the sarcastic mood boosters. The emotional stuff always came from Junhyuk or Timo, so this was new territory for both of them.

"I hope so," Taehyun murmurs, and the doubt in his voice is as evident as if he were sitting face to face with Sungwoon.

"Hey, what's with that tone? You're great, and you know it. The kids really look up to you. And why not? You're the confident, genius choreographer Noh sensei!"

Taehyun laughs, and Sungwoon knows they're back in familiar waters. After all, being Taehyun's hypeman was Sungwoon's unofficial part time job.

"Hey Tae?"

"Hmm."

"Don't overwork yourself. Even if you want everything to go perfect, don't overexert yourself. You can't just think about yourself now. You've got five kids to lead."

"God, I feel old," Taehyun says, laughing.

"I'm serious, Tae."

"Okay."

Taehyun is humming a tune Sungwoon doesn't recognize, and he wonders if it's one of JBJ's songs. He wants to ask, but he doesn't want Taehyun to stop. There's something calming in the familiarity of Taehyun's voice and Sungwoon closes his eyes to enjoy the moment.

"Hey Tae?"

"Hmm."

"I'm really proud of you."

Sungwoon mumbles it, but he knows Taehyun hears it.

"Thank you. Couldn't have done it without you," Taehyun responds, half joking, but Sungwoon hears the genuineness.

"Hey Sungwoon?"

"Hmm."

"I'm proud of you too."

"That means a lot. Thanks Taehyun."

They fall into that silence again, the peaceful one where the only thing they hear is each other's breathing.

"Hey Sungwoon?"

"Hmm."

"I miss you."

Just like that, the laughter in Sungwoon's throat dies down. He swallows hard, but the lump won't go down.

"Miss you too," he says, his voice raw and scratchy, and he coughs to cover it up.

Taehyun hears it—he has to—but he doesn't comment on it.

"We'll see each other soon?"

It was supposed to be a statement, a confirmation, but the lift of Sungwoon's voice at the end makes it come out as a question instead, and he hates the uncertainty of it.

"Of course."

With just those words, however, Sungwoon is comforted.

"Okay."

He trusts Taehyun. He always has, and that won't change.

"Hey Tae?"

"What now?"

"Daniel and Woojin say my dancing is improving at lightning speed. You better watch out because I'm coming for your main dancer position."

Taehyun laughs and Sungwoon relaxes, pressing the phone as close to his ear as possible, taking a mental recording of the sound.

"Yeah? Well Yongguk and I have been practicing together and he told me I'm basically main vocal material. So you watch out for your position all right?"

Sungwoon laughs and he can almost see Taehyun's answering smirk.

"I look forward to this competition, Noh Taehyun."

"Back at you, Ha Sungwoon."

Both of them yawn at the same time, and they giggle sheepishly. Sungwoon glances at the time and is surprised that an hour has passed.

Taehyun seems to think the same, because he asks, "Hey, don't you have schedules tomorrow?"

"Yeah..." Sungwoon trails off, not wanting to leave.

"We should go," Taehyun states, suppressing a yawn.

"Yeah, we should," Sungwoon affirms, clutching the phone tight.

There's a pause, both unwilling to hang up.

Finally, Taehyun says, "Good night?"

His voice is uncharacteristically soft, and Sungwoon feels his heart clench. He doesn't want to let Taehyun go.

"Yeah. Good night, Tae."

Sungwoon closes his eyes, savoring these last few moments.

"See you later?"

Because it's never goodbye.

And they both know that.

"See you later."

**Author's Note:**

> Erm, the ending kinda sucks rip sorry. But I just had to get this out.
> 
> JBJ finally debuted and I have so many feels. I'm so proud of them but also...Taedong :(( 
> 
> Also, I hope everyone supports Hojung and Timo on The Unit!! They deserve the world and I'm seriously so proud of them for both getting into the center group. Taehyun and Sungwoon in class A on Produce 101 and now Hojung and Timo in center group...STAN TALENT STAN HOTSHOT!


End file.
